Vital resource On our planet, water and life are synonymous, and Earth’s oceans have shaped life as we know it. The oceans also make our air: Tiny marine plants called phytoplankton provide the majority of the breathable oxygen generated by the ocean, which accounts for more than half of the air we inhale.

Climate stability As the atmosphere gets hotter from human activity, so does the ocean. The ocean has absorbed more than three-quarters of the heat added to the planet as a result of climate change — and its limit is approaching. Warmer oceans raise sea level, disrupt weather, melt polar ice, and endanger coastal ecosystems. Slow-growing species like coral are under threat and critical habitats are being lost, with many animals’ migratory patterns being altered by changes in the seasonal currents they follow.

Human cost Polluting our ocean takes a toll. Three in seven people depend on fish for their protein, and 350 million jobs worldwide depend on the marine sector. The global fisheries industry grew 167 percent between 1980 and 2008. In the Pacific Oceanscape — a coalition of island nations and territories whose waters span four times the area of the United States — the tuna industry alone provides more than 13,000 jobs to Pacific Islanders and contributes US$ 260 million to the region’s economy.

Heading toward a safer horizon – before our oceans reach their limit

CI finds innovative ways to protect marine ecosystems — and the people whose lives and livelihoods depend on them. We stand shoulder to shoulder with coastal communities around the world to conserve critical marine habitats; make fisheries more sustainable; and strengthen nature’s barriers against climate change.

EditCaption Description:The Ocean Health Index identifies people as part of a human-ocean ecosystem. The Index is the first assessment tool that scientifically measures key elements from all dimensions of the ocean’s health — biological, physical, economic and social — to assess​ how sustainably people are using the ocean. More than 65 scientists and partners worked together to develop the Index, which provides an annual assessment of ocean health using information from over 100 scientific databases.

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EditImage Alt Text:A boat sails over coral reefs off of Alor, Indonesia. In addition to conducting global marine assessments, the Ocean Health Index gives countries the tools they need to asses the health of their own seas.

EditCaption Description:“Measuring and understanding the state of our oceans is a first step toward ensuring that they can continue to provide benefits to humans, now and into the future,” said CI’s Johanna Polsenberg, director of the Ocean Health Index (OHI), a global monitor of the state of our seas.

The ocean plays a major but overlooked role in regulating our climate — but climate change is subtly changing the seas. On our present course, the ocean could turn from one of humanity’s greatest allies into one of its worst enemies.